Early Accommodation: Your Ultimate Guide

Starting a new journey for business, education, or adventure often comes with the excitement of new experiences and unfamiliar surroundings. One thing that makes this experience comforting is finding the right and early accommodation. Your accommodation is a place where you can feel the most comfortable while you’re away from your home!

In this blog, we hope to highlight the importance and benefits of finding early accommodation choices and also a few insights on how early you can book your preferred stay options. Starting your journey as a student can make you feel restless - don’t let your accommodation be another worry! So, let’s begin! 

Benefits of Finding Early Accommodation

As a student, your journey towards higher education doesn’t stop at attending classes. It includes a bunch of important decisions to make, with the most crucial one being your student accommodation. Every student needs a home away from home, and we have mentioned a few of the most important reasons for finding early accommodation choices below: 

1. Availability and Choice: As we are aware, the more popular the location, the fewer the options available. By securing your accommodation earlier, you can increase the chances of getting your desired room type, which can make your overall experience a lot better. 

2. Cost Savings: The faster you book your accommodation, the more money you save. Most accommodation options offer schemes where you get bookings for lower prices if you book in advance. This can be beneficial for your finances! 

3. Special Requests: This is one of the most underrated benefits of early accommodation. Most accommodations tend to welcome special requests if you book well in advance. If you have any special requests, such as room type, accessibility, or amenities, there’s a good chance that the management will cater to them. 

4. Seasonal Demand: In peak admission times, such as January or September, accommodation options face a higher demand. If you plan and book your accommodation in advance, you won’t have to worry about your stay!

5. Peace of Mind: Once you complete your early accommodation process, you can be assured that one of the biggest factors of moving overseas is sorted out. This can allow you to spend time sorting out other aspects of your journey! 

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If you’re planning to start your academic journey and want to cross your accommodation off the list, head to amber today! Amber offers a carefully curated list of properties for student accommodation spread across various locations. Not only do students get to choose the accommodation they like, but they also get all the information regarding the property, including amenities, the distance from universities, and the rent structure! If you’re looking for early accommodation choices, amber is the place for you. Happy hunting!

How Early Should I Book?

It’s a well-known fact that every accommodation process is different. Choosing the right student accommodation is a crucial aspect of the university experience, impacting your overall well-being and academic performance. One of the burning questions many students face is, "How early should I book my student accommodation?". In fact, the student housing shortage crisis is one of the biggest concerns for students. So, to understand this better, we have broken down the different admission phases and how soon you should ideally start looking for and booking your student accommodations:

1. UCAS

The UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) application process opens in early September, for courses that start the following academic year. For those students who are applying through UCAS, it's advisable to start researching early accommodation choices BEFORE you apply. In fact, with amber, you won’t even have to worry about the booking process, as we offer free cancellation as well!

2. For January Intake

The student accommodation market has always been competitive. As such, most landlords start advertising for early accommodation choices in the month of October or November for the January intake. It may interest you to know that according to the National Student Accommodation Survey 2023, 25% of students start looking for their accommodation before December. 

3. For September Intake

For the September intake, it is advised to start looking for accommodation options in the month of June or July. We advise that it’s best to keep an eye out on property comparison sites or accommodation booking platforms to get the best rates and options, and start your academic journey!

So, that’s about it. We have covered all the necessary factors you should consider while you go through the process of booking early accommodations. Keep in mind that there are a lot more things that you must consider, which we have covered in our blog on things to look for when choosing student accommodation. Also, know that it is always a good idea to start your accommodation process as early as possible, in order to get the best prices and a range of options to choose from. So, don’t worry and start hunting for your accommodation choices with amber. We promise it’s going to be easy, secure, and fast!